From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, has expressed confidence that the challenges bedevilling the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party would be surmounted in no distance time.
Senator Lawan gave the assurance in his goodwill message at the 2020 Annual Conference of the APC Press Corps held on Friday, in Abuja, with the theme: “Contestation, a Veritable Process in Deepening Democratic Norms, Values and Culture: The APC Story.”
Represented by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awuniyi, the Senate President however admitted that though there were challenges in the party, the leaders were not distracted or overwhelmed by those challenges.
“The APC story is a story that is founded on fostering understanding amongst a divergent interest. It is the story of creativity and ingenuity in the management of difference. The APC story is a pacy story of brilliance in the administration of a plural system.
“It is a story that hallmarks how well democracy should flourish, for its adaptive capacity, and its potential as a lesson, and the possibilities it bears for the future.
“The APC story understands the workings of democracy, through its aggregation of variegated interests, and how it has managed the interests.
“Though there are challenges, these challenges are not always insurmountable. They are like the storm in the tea cup. They will always blow away, given our continued resolve to remain the vehicle for the emancipation of Nigeria. We have come a long way and will not be distracted.
“What we require is to be painstaking and the need to be positive about our efforts, the sacrifices of leaders, and the patience of the followers.
“While the leaders have a constitutional role, the followers also have to be vigilant. A conscientious interplay of the two will eventually result into a rewarding outcome, considering that patriotism and nationalism would emerge therefrom,” he said.
